Phoenix Rising 3 - Learning To Fly
by lynnwiley
Summary: Follows "Settling In" - After watching the antics of a bird Hera decides that her own wings should enable her to fly. To her family's horror, she goes about testing her theory in the worst way possible. Female!Magical Creature!Harry Future EC/HP
1. To Fly

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in the Harry Potter and Twilight worlds

**Author's Note:** I know my propensity to add random scenes such as the first one may be confusing to some of you, and for that I apologize. I enjoy imagining how the Cullens would react to Hera's milestones, however, and some of them are just too short to turn them into a one shot.

**Chapter 1 – To Fly**

Hera looked at her new school dubiously as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She glanced at Edward, who was doing his best to look supportive even though he would much rather his mate stay home with Esme all day where he knew she'd be protected. "You'll be fine, Hera… it's just kindergarten. You'll get to paint and play with other kids, and have lots of fun!"

The five-year-old sighed. "Yeah I know, but why can't I go to school with you?"

Edward chuckled. "Well, as brilliant as I know you are, I still think calculus and chemistry may be just a tad too advanced for you right now." He placed a finger under her chin and pulled her face up until her emerald gaze met his. "You're going to be fine. You met Ms. Laney yesterday and she was very nice, remember?"

Hera sighed and picked up her Hello Kitty backpack that Alice bought her. "Yeah. But what if nobody likes me?"

Edward laughed and playfully tugged on one of her pigtails. "What?! That's crazy talk, Hera! Only a moron wouldn't like you… you're like the best thing since peanut butter and jelly!"

The little girl looked at her mate as if he'd lost his mind. "You don't eat peanut butter and jelly."

"I know, but since you ask for it at every meal I assume it must be pretty awesome. Besides, telling you you're the best thing since mountain lions and bears just doesn't have the same ring to it, right?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and was rewarded with a giggle as she opened the door and prepared to join the other new students.

"You remember where your class is?" When she nodded he leaned over to place a kiss on Hera's forehead. "Okay, good. My phone number is pinned to the inside of your backpack… for emergencies only. Have fun and I'll be here when you get out!" She waved back at him with a smile tinged with nervousness before walking away.

Edward remained until his mate disappeared inside the elementary school. He ignored the stabbing pain in his gut and pulled into traffic, speeding fast enough to make it to his own school in time.

That had been much harder than he'd imagined.

* * *

Pulling up to the high school with five minutes to spare, Edward joined his siblings who were all standing around Emmett's jeep.

Jasper nodded a greeting. "How'd she do?"

Edward sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "She was good. A little nervous, but you know how she is with change. She'll warm up to school in no time."

Emmett snorted. "She may as well. She's got the rest of her immortal life to learn to hate it. I kind of wish I could start from kindergarten. At least I'd be doing something different."

Alice giggled. "We could go to school with Hera and spend our time finger-painting and pretending to sleep during naptime."

Rosalie smiled. "And if any bullies give Hera a hard time she can have Edward beat them up."

The five vampires began walking toward the entrance as the warning bell rang shrilly. They all laughed when Edward grumbled about the stupidity of anyone even thinking of harassing his mate.

* * *

Weeks went by and soon autumn was in full swing. Despite her initial reluctance, Hera's innate love of learning new things made school something to which she looked forward each day.

Esme knocked on the door to her five-year-old daughter's room before pushing it open. It was a sunny Sunday morning and they were currently the only two people in the house. Carlisle was working a shift at the local hospital and the others had left a few hours earlier to hunt.

Hera was sitting in the middle of the floor, eyes scrunched in concentration, as seven balls of light spun around her. As Esme watched, three more balls slowly appeared and joined the others before picking up speed. Though the mother could feel no discernable source of air flow, Hera's unruly shoulder-length black hair whipped around her face as if caught in a significant breeze. She had seen her daughter perform such a feat before, but it always amazed her to witness the spectacle.

The child had discovered that she could conjure a globe of light approximately a year ago when she had awakened from a bad dream and found the darkness of her room unbearable. Though the light then had been fairly simple, Hera had found that with a little more concentration she could change the color and intensity of the lights at will. Edward had been so proud of Hera's accomplishment that Jasper teased him mercilessly for a week about the smug feelings he was emitting.

All of them were expecting Hera's future magic school to contact them very soon as the phoenix's powers grew.

"Mama, look!" Hera's eyes lit up as she caught sight of her mother standing in the doorway of her room.

Esme laughed. "I see it, baby, but it's time for your bath. Hurry up before the water goes cold."

"Where's Emmett? I want him to see… he said I wouldn't be able to do ten at a time and now he owes me ten dollars," Hera whined as her mother made her stop the globes.

"Emmett went hunting with the others, sweetheart. Don't worry, I'll tell him you won the bet." She pushed the phoenix's hair back off of her slightly sweaty face as Hera pouted. "None of that, Hera… if you did it once you will be able to do it again when your brothers and sisters return."

Hera sighed as Esme started picking up her room. She willed the globes away and dutifully pulled some clean clothes out of her closet before heading into her bathroom where Esme had drawn her a bath. Anxious to get back to her play, Hera washed as quickly as possible while ensuring she still did an adequate job. It was impossible to cut corners in a house of vampires without anyone noticing.

Finally finished with the hated chore of bath time, she shook as much water as she could from her wings before drying the rest of her body and dressed. A sudden noise caught her attention from the room's only window. Hera silently padded over and climbed upon the toilet. From her elevated position she carefully peeked through the slats of the blinds. Perched on the ledge outside was a beautiful bird with brown and yellow feathers. The child smiled as she realized she could spy on the creature without being noticed because of the way the blinds were slanted.

The fat little bird hopped along the window sill pecking at the wood for a few minutes before readying his wings and taking flight.

Hera's smile slipped from her face as her eyes tracked the animal until it disappeared. She turned to look at her own wings, reflexively opening and closing the appendages. She spread out the green feathers as far as the enclosed area would allow before pulling them close to her body once more.

If other animals with wings could fly, why couldn't she?

She halfheartedly took a towel to her wet hair before running to Edward's room. His window stretched from floor to ceiling, which allowed him to open it and leap down two stories to the ground whenever he wanted to go hunting in the woods. Standing on tip toes, Hera couldn't quite reach the latch. Looking around, her eyes skipped over the various shelves of his music and landed on the large bookcase. Pulling down two of the largest books she could get her hands on, Hera stacked them together and climbed on top to reach the lock.

The window opened with a click. She quickly moved the books aside before standing in the now open space. Hera found herself becoming dizzy as she looked down and instead chose to focus her gaze on the large oak tree in front of her. Taking a deep breath, the five-year-old locked her jaw with determination, spread her wings, and jumped.


	2. Gravity

See first chapter for disclaimer and notes

**Chapter 2 - Gravity**

Edward dropped the drained carcass of the deer he'd just caught and began heading back towards the house. He was anxious to return to his piano and the new lullaby he was composing for Hera. He had tried to teach her how to play, but the little girl wasn't keen to do anything that required her to sit still for any length of time.

The sound of leaves rustling preceded the appearance of Alice and Jasper on the trail. The light amber of their eyes told him they'd had no problem finding their own sustenance. "Where's Emmett and Rosalie?"

Alice giggled. "Well… Jasper was bombarded with intense feelings of lust a few minutes ago, so I'm thinking we don't want to know."

Edward shook his head with a grin, grateful that the amorous couple was far enough away that he wasn't burdened with their thoughts. "I feel sorry for any hikers that might stumble upon them. Seeing those two get it on has to be more traumatic than witnessing a vampire feeding."

Jasper was about to respond when a sudden intake of breath from his mate signified a vision was coming. He immediately grabbed her arm to support her.

Edward gasped when he watched the vision through Alice's mind. "Oh god, NO!" Without waiting for the end of it to play out he took off for home, running as quickly as it was possible for him to go.

The sudden smell of blood and Esme's screams told him he was too late.

* * *

Esme was in the kitchen rifling through the pantry when she heard Edward's window click open. Knowing her son hadn't left from his room this time, she grew curious. She started to waive away the incident, thinking Edward just hadn't secured it tightly the last time he'd used it, but her instincts were telling her something wasn't right. Realizing Hera's heart rate had increased, Esme dropped what she was doing and went to investigate.

Screaming in panic, the vampire ran to grab her daughter, who had just jumped from Edward's window, but her hand missed the little arm by a hair's breadth. She immediately jumped after the little girl, but Hera hit the rocky ground before Esme could do anything to break her fall.

"Hera, baby… NO!" Esme reached down to check the child's pulse even though she could clearly hear her baby's heartbeat. Before she could make contact with Hera's neck, Edward was there. He gently but swiftly moved her away from his mate's body and went to evaluate her condition for himself.

Thanking every god she could think of that Edward had chosen to go through medical school, Esme worried her hands and waited for Edward's assessment.

* * *

If Edward's heart were physically capable of beating, he was certain it would have stopped upon seeing the unconscious form of his little Hera beneath the open window of his room two stories up. He forced all emotion to the back of his mind as he methodically ran his fingers gently up the phoenix's spine, praying to every deity there ever was that it wasn't broken. The task was made easier due to the phoenix having landed on her side.

He let out an unneeded breath when he could feel no obvious breaks... at least in her spine. He knew from just glancing at the rest of her body that Hera had, at the very least, broken her right arm and leg. Though reassured by her strong and steady heartbeat, he refused to allow himself to relax until Carlisle could take a look. By the time that Edward looked up from the tiny broken body, he noticed that Jasper and Alice had shown up during his examination and were hovering beside their mother.

"Esme, call an ambulance. Alice, I need you to get in touch with Carlisle and let him know they're bringing her in. Jasper, would you please bring me Hera's necklace from my desk? I'll also need your help getting it on her without moving her neck." He quickly inspected the little wings, knowing that should they be broken he would need to splint them before the paramedics came. Satisfied that they were intact, he sat back on his heels and waited.

Edward tenderly pushed the hair out of the little girl's bloodied face and gazed upon her with eyes full of bewildered anguish. "What were you trying to do, Hera?"

When Jasper returned the two brothers set about working the chain around her neck as gently as possible. Once the charmed necklace was clasped, hiding her wings, Jasper sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, accidentally staining his blonde locks with the red of his baby sister's blood. His thoughts matched the rest of theirs, equally at a loss as to why Hera would choose to jump out of a window.

Edward shook his head. Did she think that she could land safely because the rest of them were able? He racked his brain, wondering if they'd ever explained the differences between their species other than speed, strength, and diet. Was this his fault? Sure Carlisle and Esme were her parents, but he was her mate! Ultimately her safety was his responsibility.

The distant sound of an approaching siren pulled him from his inner turmoil. He leaned down to place a kiss to Hera's temple and stood up just as Rosalie and Emmett came bursting from the forest with panicked expressions. He left the others to explain what they knew of the situation as he walked to the front of the house to direct the medics to where they needed to be.

The sudden appearance of the ambulance with its flashing lights both relieved and terrified him. The two male medics who jumped from the vehicle both wore focused expressions. Without pausing they grabbed the gurney and various other tools of their trade and followed the frightened vampire back to their patient.

After a brief examination similar to Edward's, during which the Cullens were peppered with questions, the paramedics had Hera immobilized. Seeing the phoenix strapped down to a backboard and wearing a neck brace made Edward shudder.

Though he ached to ride with his mate as they whisked her away to the emergency room, Edward knew the humans would be expecting Esme to accompany them. Since any abnormal behavior on their part could prove dangerous for his family, the vampire didn't even try to take her place.

The five siblings piled into Edward's car as the ambulance pulled out. He followed the emergency vehicle as closely as he dared, somewhat reassured by the fact that they felt no need to engage the siren on the way to the hospital.

* * *

Thanks to all who read and reviewed! You guys rock :)


	3. Hope

Disclaimer and notes found on first chapter

**Chapter 3 - Hope**

Carlisle Cullen has seen a lot of sick and injured people throughout his centuries of vampiric life. Being a naturally compassionate individual, he would be lying if he said he didn't feel at least a small amount of sympathy for most of the humans that have ever come under his attention. He could count on one hand, however, the times he'd been absolutely terrified to lose the life placed in his care. That having been said, the moment the ER doors slid open to reveal paramedics wheeling in his unconscious and bleeding five-year-old daughter was perhaps the most frightening moment of his existence.

He'd known Hera was being brought in thanks to Alice, allowing him to free himself from his previous responsibilities. Though many hospital administrators would never allow him to treat his own daughter due to the fact that he'd be too close to the case, his supervisor knew he wouldn't allow any lesser physician to lay hands on his child. The fact was simple – Carlisle Cullen was the best doctor this hospital had and no one was crazy enough to deny his daughter the best care available.

Apparently the child had jumped from Edward's window for some unknown reason and as soon as she recovered they would be discussing her reasons… at length. He refused to entertain any possibility of her not recovering. Carlisle kept reminding himself that the little girl had an innate healing ability on her side as a phoenix.

He prayed it was enough.

Carlisle tenderly brushed Hera's pale cheek with the back of his fingers before transitioning once more from concerned daddy to "Dr. Cullen". He snapped out orders to the staff around him, never once pausing in the steady trek to bring his child to a place where he could do a complete examination. His eyes caught the despairing gaze of Edward a moment before the door closed, separating him from the other worried family members.

His heart ached for his son, knowing from personal experience how much Edward was being tormented by his instincts. The mate bond was both a sacred gift and an unrelenting responsibility, and was not likely to be forgiving in regards to any injury suffered by the submissive partner. It mattered not that Hera was way too young to complete the bond. Edward's duty to keep her safe and happy began the second that his vampire recognized her as his mate.

His inspection revealed two obvious fractures on her right arm and one on her right leg. The other fracture he found was the one that was worrying him the most, and Edward by extension since he knew his telepathic son was monitoring his thoughts very closely, and that was a depressed fracture to his daughter's skull. He'd actually stopped the pretense of breathing when he found the injury behind the girl's right ear. After Hera's examination he ordered the nurses to prep her for a CT scan as soon as possible, knowing in his heart that the results weren't going to be good.

* * *

Edward paced back and forth in front of the lines of vending machines as he waited for his father to finish diagnosing Hera's condition. As soon as Carlisle's mind began thinking the words "coma" and "surgery" he'd had to get away. Leaving the hospital wasn't a possibility, so he chose to instead wander the halls aimlessly.

He closed his eyes, imagining the sight of a scalpel cutting into a girl so full of spirit and life that he and the rest of his family were constantly amazed that her tiny body could contain it all.

Growling out his fear and frustrations, Edward reached back and went to punch the annoyingly upbeat design of the soda machine beside him. His fist was grabbed a split second before it would have made contact with the thick plastic.

Jasper.

He would have known Jasper was the one to stop him even if he couldn't read his mind, smell his scent, or see the sympathetic eyes staring into his soul… assuming he still had one. No one has ever or could ever offer him more understanding and support in regards to the storms of emotion consuming his mind. Edward supposed it made sense, given his brother's talent. But somehow the tawny-haired vampire knew that Jasper would be no different even if he had no gift.

"It might not be okay."

Edward looked up at the sudden words. "What?"

Jasper shrugged. Edward idly noticed that the streak of Hera's blood was still in his hair, though it had long since darkened. "Everyone else lies, making empty promises and platitudes. They say things like, 'Don't worry, everything will be okay,' but I have too much respect for you to throw you that line of bull."

The blonde's face crumbled with sorrow for a moment before he straightened once more and looked Edward square in the eye. "It might not be okay. I know Carlisle is scared, I know you've heard things in his mind that have you terrified as well… but I also know that Hera is strong. I've seen her fall and pick herself up so many times without even losing the intensity of her smile. When anyone tells her there's something she's unable to do, I've seen her determination to prove them wrong. I've rarely ever seen her fail at anything she puts her mind to, and if she does she is always more than willing to give whatever it is another try."

Edward suddenly collapsed with sorrow he would never be able to fully express and he willingly moved into his brother's embrace as the other vampire caught him.

"She might not be okay, Edward… but I truly believe with everything inside of me that she will be. And if at any time someone tells us she won't make it, I know that my little sister will pull through just to prove them wrong."

Edward turned away and made the attempt to pull himself together before answering. "She does have a stubborn streak, doesn't she?"

Jasper chuckled. "As soon as she joined our family she was guaranteed to develop one."

Edward placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Thanks Jas."

An understanding smile graced the face of the civil war vampire. "Anytime, brother."

Edward was about to make his way back to the family, when something crossed his mind. "I never thought to ask… are you okay being here?"

Jasper nodded, looking pained once more. "All I can smell is Hera, and the only emotions I feel belong to our family… I guess you could say I'm as okay as the rest of you."

* * *

Edward paused in the doorway with shock when he first caught sight of Hera. She was hooked up to various machines and even though he knew she would be, a small part of him expected to see her healthy and smiling at him. He ignored Esme's muffled sob and crouched down beside his mate's bedside, gently grabbing her little hand. Carlisle had verbally confirmed what Edward had garnered from his thoughts… Hera was going to have to undergo surgery to repair the cranial fracture and relieve the swelling on her brain.

The family was allowed to visit with the little girl briefly before they took her away to the operating room, and Edward was beyond terrified that this was going to be the last time he'd see her alive. How long were they going to be forced to wait for her famed phoenix healing powers to show themselves?

It felt as if he'd been waiting an eternity already.

"Hey sunshine," Edward whispered into Hera's ear. "It's Edward and the rest of the family. I just want you to know that we're here and we love you, so hurry up and get better, okay?"

Emmett smiled sadly and wrapped an arm around his mate. "That's right, munchkin. We're all going to Disney World soon… it'd be a shame if you missed it." The large vampire shrugged when everyone raised their eyebrows at him. "Nothing wrong with giving her something to look forward to."

Jasper smiled as he kissed Hera's forehead. "Hey darlin', as soon as we get you mobile again I'll take you on the fastest roller coaster you can find, myself."

* * *

Hera's return to consciousness was fraught with confusion. Her head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, as did her mouth. She reached up to scratch an irritating itch on her head, but her hand was gently grasped before it could make contact and held within an iron grip. Reluctant to open her eyes until she gained some kind of comprehension in regards to the unusual situation in which she found herself, the phoenix stretched her other senses out to ascertain where she was and why she felt so… icky.

A steady beeping was happening somewhere off to her right. That added with the harsh smell of chemicals and the sound of a voice speaking over an intercom let her know that she was in a hospital. Suddenly frightened by that concept, the little girl struggled to force herself to return to full consciousness, unintentionally causing the heart monitor to beep faster. Suddenly Edward's soothing voice could be heard next to her ear, causing Hera's fear to all but vanish.

Nothing bad would happen when her Edward was nearby. She knew he was the one holding her hand when her hand was squeezed in response to her thought.

Finally succeeding in opening her eyes, she tried to rub them but a heavy cast encompassing her entire right arm disallowed any movement. Frowning at the sight, she looked to Edward for an explanation since he was the only other person in the room. He sighed and stared at her with a mixture of joy and concern.

"No one knows the reason why, Hera, but you jumped out of my bedroom window." Edward closed his eyes and a pained look crossed his face making her want so badly to give him a hug. He brought her tiny hand to his mouth and placed a kiss to the back of it, being careful not to disturb the IV lines placed there. "You were hurt very badly. You broke your arm and wrist and also your leg. The scariest thing that happened was your head hit a rock when you fell and dad had to go in and fix it." He smiled at her and lightly cuffed her chin. "You know how awesome dad is at his job so, needless to say, you are well on your way to getting all better."

Before she could respond, the door to her room opened and her daddy was there placing a kiss on her cheek and asking her a lot of questions about the things she did remember. During all of this Edward stood up and moved to leave the room, causing a brief moment of panic to move through her. In response to the fear, Edward turned his reassuring smile on her. "I'm just going to let the family know you're awake. Everyone's so very anxious to see your pretty green eyes, sunshine. It's been too long since we got to see them."

By the time the rest of the family made it to the hospital Hera had fallen back to sleep, but they weren't concerned. They knew from Carlisle's report that she was healing much more quickly than he had been expecting, proving that her healing gift had finally kicked in.

Gazing around at his family, Carlisle couldn't help but notice that they had grown so reliant upon Hera's laughter and joyous nature that they were unable to find their own smiles without her. She truly had become the heart of the family.

Edward turned relieved eyes on him and smiled in agreement.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading!


	4. I Remember

Disclaimer found on chapter 1

**Chapter 4 – I Remember**

The front door of the Cullen's home opened. Six vampires filed inside, one of whom was carrying a very groggy phoenix. Hera's partially shaved head was swathed in bandages and she was, of course, still wearing the bright purple casts on her arm and leg. Carlisle had chosen the color for her, knowing it was his baby girl's favorite. The hard shells were already covered in names and well-wishes from her family and the hospital staff, who were greatly saddened to see the child go.

Hera could barely hold her own head up, and was now resting it against Edward's shoulder. The others carried the various and assorted gifts, balloons, and flowers the convalescing girl had collected during her hospital stay. Little Alice looked comical as she could barely be seen under the huge lion plushy Emmett had found for his baby sister. After laying eyes on it, the phoenix had immediately turned to Edward and told him he wasn't allowed to eat it, causing everyone to laugh as Edward pouted playfully. Everything was to be transferred to Hera's room so that they could continue their job of cheering the phoenix up as she recovered.

Alice and Rosalie had strung a "Welcome Home Hera" banner across the room, but the phoenix was in too much pain from the trip home to either notice or appreciate it. Though Emmett had driven as carefully as he could, Hera still groaned in agony every time the car ride jostled her even the tiniest bit.

Rosalie preceded the others into the child's room and pulled back the covers so her brother could lay down his precious burden. The others quickly found places to set the flowers and presents while Alice unclasped the charmed necklace, showing Hera's wings to the world for the first time since she was rushed to the hospital weeks before. Exhausted from the trip home and still doped up on pain killers, the child had simply clutched the white teddy bear her mom had handed her and fell asleep. Hera's mate, siblings, and mother watched her for a while before they started drifting out of the room.

Edward stayed the longest, but he too left after turning the light off.

* * *

When Carlisle arrived home that evening, he found the house to be much quieter than usual. It wasn't that the Cullens were often noisy, but there was usually some sound resonating through their home, whether it be the dulcet tones of Edward's piano, the artificial mayhem of Emmett's video games, or even the soft whisper of Jasper turning the pages of one of his treasured books.

He smiled and kissed Esme as she welcomed him home. "Where is everyone?"

Esme helped him out of his coat. "Well Edward's eyes were dark so I sent him out to feed. Emmett offered to go with him and they've been gone about thirty minutes or so. Jasper and Alice are upstairs in their room, Rosalie's in hers, and Hera's asleep."

Carlisle nodded. "I figured she would fall asleep after the trip home, but has she been awake at all since then?"

"Yes. She was up about three hours ago and I was able to get some soup in her before she nodded off again."

The doctor smiled. "Good. I'll take a look at her a little later then. Rest is what she needs most right now," he said as he sat down on the couch. Soon Alice and Jasper drifted downstairs and greeted their father before finding their own seats.

* * *

Hera's head was hurting, but she ignored it for the time being. Every time she complained she was given medicine that made her arms and legs twitch. The sensation was aggravating enough on its own, but doubly so when you had limbs in a cast.

Opening her eyes revealed two people she loved but was not expecting to see in Alaska. She gave the biggest smile she could endure and reached out with her good hand. "Aunt Nelle, Uncle Nick… how did you get here?"

Nicolas Flamel smiled sadly at his broken little bird as he grabbed the offered hand, covering it with his much larger one. "We rode here on the back of a giant albatross! Oh I wish you could have seen the wondrous things to be found when flying over the ocean, my dear. I saw no less than twenty whales! And the dolphins… one of them tried to catch a ride with us! I dare say if he'd jumped just a half-meter higher he would have made it!"

Perenelle elbowed the old wizard in the ribs. "Stop lying to the girl, Nicolas. We took an international portkey, Hera darling. How are you feeling?"

She was about to respond to her beloved aunt's question with a polite lie, not wanting anyone to know she was in pain, when Uncle Nick began grumbling. "My explanation sounded much more exciting than, 'We arrived by way of someone's smelly, discarded boot.'"

"There's nothing wrong with a little less excitement, Nicolas." She gestured to the little girl. "I dare say Hera has most likely had enough excitement to last her a year or two."

Hera giggled before answering the earlier question. "I'm getting better, Aunt Nelle. Mama makes me stay in bed but she said when I get stronger that she and daddy will make me a nest on the couch so I won't be bored."

Nicolas scooted his conjured chair a little closer to the bed. "Bored? Have these vampires not been keeping you entertained, little one?"

"Oh yes, Uncle Nick! Rose colors with me and Jasper reads to me. Emmett and Alice take turns telling funny stories and Edward plays games with me."

"Well that does sound like a lot of fun. If they start being boring you let me know and I'll take you back home with me! There's lots of exciting things to do on our island… the pegasus stalls could always use a good cleaning, and I would love to have someone to bring me things when I'm settled in front of the fireplace. You know it takes us old folk a while to get comfortable and we don't like to ruin it by having to get up to fetch something we forgot… old folk are also very forgetful. Are you sure you're not bored here?"

"You're silly, Uncle Nick," Hera said before sticking her tongue out at a smirking Edward when he came in with her pain medicine and a bottle of water. Her own mind had ratted her out again!

Nicolas grinned knowingly at the phoenix before answering, "Yes… that's what your Aunt Nelle has been telling me for years."

* * *

Nicolas and Perenelle had stayed with the vampires and phoenix for two days, but had too many responsibilities to accept the offer of a longer visit. Hera had never tired of listening to her Uncle Nick's stories nor her Aunt Nelle's gentle ribbing when he went off on one of his "tangents"… whatever that meant. She was, therefore, very sad to see them leave. She didn't stay sad for long. In fact she never felt anything for long because she was still sleeping through most of the day.

The night that the Flamels left heralded the return of the phoenix's memories of her accident, thanks to her uncle's story on the day they came.

_Hera was sitting on the back of a huge brown and yellow bird, loving the feel of the wind blowing her hair back. A sudden splash had her leaning over to see her family swimming in the ocean. Wait, they weren't swimming… they were drowning! It never occurred to her in her dream state that creatures who had no need to breathe couldn't possibly drown._

"_Hera, help," cried her mother, "Please help us!"_

"_Hang on, Mama," the little girl responded. She then tried to get the bird she was riding to turn around so he could pick up her family before she lost them, but he refused to deviate from his flight._

_Edward looked at her with betrayal in his eyes as he struggled. "Hera? What are you waiting for? We need help! Come back!"_

_With helpless tears rolling down her face, Hera answered, "I'm trying, Edward! He won't go back… what do I do?"_

"_Jump, Hera! You've got wings!" Jasper briefly went under as he grew more tired from treading water. "Hurry… we need you!"_

"_Jump… you can do it," Alice added._

_Suddenly the scene changed and Hera was standing in Edward's room, framed by the open window. The giant oak tree stood before her and nestled in the branches was the bird she had seen the day of her accident… the same bird which she had been riding a moment ago. "Jump, Hera… don't look down," he said._

_As soon as the words penetrated her brain she felt a need to look down, and screamed in denial. Scattered amongst the rocks were the body parts of her family. All of them had been ripped apart by something and gazed at her with dead eyes._

_Right before she was about to try to fly down and save them, Edward's lips begin to move. "Why, Hera? Why did you let us die?"_

_She shook her head, covering her ears to keep from hearing the accusations coming from the lips of her dead family._

"_Hera, how could you," asked Emmett._

"_Hera… Hera why," cried Rosalie._

"_Hera, look at me," Edward's voice sounded like it was pleading with her. When she felt a hand on her face she screamed and opened her eyes._

With tears in her eyes, Hera threw her good arm around Edward's neck after her horrible nightmare. He gently held her close while the rest of the family looked on, worriedly. "It's okay, Hera… it was just a bad dream."

Unable to shake her head because of the pain, she responded, "No… I jumped!"

The other Cullens shared bewildered looks. "What do you mean, Hera," asked Rosalie.

Edward, feeling the strength leave the little girl, lay her back onto her pillows. He grabbed the cool cloth Alice had retrieved and began to mop up the sweat and tears that covered Hera's face.

Hera looked at her family with a guilty expression. "I saw a bird and thought that I could fly like him because we both have wings!"

Edward closed his eyes in sudden understanding. Unwilling to let his mate think that he was angry with her, he forced the pain from his face and listened as she explained.

"I didn't think my wings would let me fall, but I was wrong," she finished dejectedly before the tears came once again. "I'm sorry!"

Carlisle crouched down so as to be at eye level with his young daughter. "It's okay, Hera. Calm down, sweetheart… it was an accident." The doctor patiently wiped the tears from her face with the cloth. When her green eyes focused on him, he repeated, "It was an accident, and everyone has them. When you're feeling better you and I will talk about this so you can learn from your mistakes, but until then I want you to focus on healing, okay?"

"Okay, daddy."

* * *

Not very exciting chapter, but I felt they all needed to catch their breath and the story's winding down anyway. Thanks to all who've reviewed and/or placed me on their favorite list. I've never been anybody's favorite before joining this site, lol!


	5. Sunshine

Disclaimer found on chapter 1

**Just a reminder:** The vampires in this story don't sparkle.

**Chapter 5 – Sunshine**

Edward was sitting at his piano, composing, when his ears picked up the distinct padding sound of little feet trying to be sneaky coming from his mate's room. Rolling his eyes in a human manner, the vampire immediately went to check on Hera. He was unsurprised to find the girl out of bed… again, despite his assertion that she not leave it without permission. Her arm and leg had both fully healed thanks to her phoenix abilities and were cast-free. Her head, however, was taking much longer because of the seriousness of the wound. She would often suffer through dizzy spells and headaches and Edward was scared to death of her falling down the stairs during an episode.

Even though she was healing faster than any doctor could have dreamed, it was still not quickly enough for the rambunctious child. It was times like this that he wished she wasn't such a rare creature. Had she been human, Nicolas could have brewed Hera a few potions and it would be like nothing ever happened… at least physically. Mentally, he was certain they'd both carry scars for the rest of their existence.

Of course if she **were** human, then she would be mortal without her nifty advanced healing powers, and would probably be de… no, he wasn't going there. Ever.

The Flamels had discovered the hard way that wizarding potions seemed to have adverse effects on phoenixes. This was learned right after the couple had rescued the girl from her abusive relative's home. The first thing Nicolas had done was give the child a pain potion and the results weren't pretty. Apparently Hera had turned an interesting shade of blue and then threw up for an hour. Even the mild topical bruise removal cream had given the child a nasty rash!

Sighing, Edward made his presence known to his mate. He wanted to laugh when Hera took on a deer-in-the-headlights look. The girl had been living with vampires long enough to know that absolutely nothing got by them. Of course that didn't mean she wouldn't continue to do her best to try. They all loved that about her – her unwillingness to give in and concede defeat. He had no doubt that if Carlisle hadn't expressly forbidden her from flashing while she was recovering, she would have attempted that method of escape by now.

The vampire couldn't help but be pleased at how much more healthy the child was growing on a daily basis. She was finally starting to gain the weight she had lost since her hospitalization and the state of her hair no longer screamed "brain surgery" to him. Rosalie, who had been freaking out over the unruliness of Hera's hair since she joined the family, was beside herself now. Once the part that had been shaved for her operation had started growing back, Esme trimmed the rest so that it would look more evened out.

The results were interesting, to say the least. There wasn't a single spot on Hera's head where her hair would lay flat. It was as if the black silky locks were determined to thumb their proverbial nose at society… refusing to conform to anyone's expectations. Rosalie was nearly ready to throw her plethora of styling products in the trash and join a convent.

Edward thought it was adorable. Her hair matched her personality perfectly.

"Hi Edward… I love you!" The hopeful smile and declaration of love was a nice touch, but wholly unnecessary. They both were well aware of the fact that Edward was a complete pushover when it came to this phoenix.

"I love you too, Hera. Having fun?" Hera had moved herself to the window and was staring outdoors longingly, or at least she had been before he caught her. The entire scene made his fingers itch to snatch her away. His vampire wasn't ready to allow her near windows yet. The first thing he'd done after bringing his mate home was bolt his own window shut.

The child sighed despondently, stirring a need within him to give her anything she wanted in order to see her smile blossom once more. "I know I'm not s'posed to get up, but I miss the sun Edward!"

The vampire stared at his little mate for a few moments before pushing himself off the door he'd been leaning against. He began pulling out warm clothing, urging Hera to dress in what he was laying out for her. Suddenly excited with whatever Edward was planning, she willingly obliged him. Once he was satisfied that she was well covered and unlikely to get chilled, he fastened her charmed pendant around her neck, pocketed her medication, and carried her to his car… after leaving a note for Esme, of course. No sense worrying the family after everything else they'd had to endure since the accident.

Hera's bubbly personality came out during the drive, fueled by the mysterious nature of the endeavor. When they had finally reached their destination, Edward was well updated on her list of favorite songs, the kids from school she missed the most, as well as why the new "Sleepy Sally" doll wasn't nearly as exciting as the television commercials made her seem. He was also forced to swear a solemn oath not to reveal that fact to Alice because she didn't want her sister's feelings to be hurt.

The little girl's bright green eyes widened when she caught sight of the sign marking the entrance to The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. In her surprise, the little girl lost all capability for speech for almost a full minute. He smiled smugly at the thought that he had been the one to put that expression on her face. He briefly considered getting a t-shirt proclaiming him to be "Best Mate Ever," but decided that it wasn't worth the headache his family members would give him with their delight in teasing him.

He had noticed before that Hera very rarely referred to him as her brother. Even in her thoughts he was "my Edward." She hadn't been told by any of them of their status as mates, nor would she be old enough to understand the significance of it if she had. He could only assume that the subconscious part of her creature that **did** recognize him wouldn't allow her to develop any sisterly feelings that might complicate their bond when she grew up.

He was more than fine with being her best friend until that time came.

* * *

Wow… this story just doesn't want to end. I had planned to make this chapter into a neat little wrap-up but instead they're going to the zoo. (facepalm) It also occurred to me as I reread the previous chapters that the Flamels could have just given Hera a magic potion to make her well, so I had to figure out a reason why they didn't and add it in.

Also, if we're going by Harry Potter dates – cell phones and cool-colored casts didn't exist when the character was five, and I don't want to change it… so let's just chalk any inconsistencies regarding dates up to artistic license.

Last but not least – love all of the reviews I've received on this story and my previous ones. I've tried to personally thank all of you, so if I've forgotten anyone, or if I've been unable to respond because you weren't signed in or have PM disabled, know that I appreciate you more than words could ever express!


	6. Animal Magnetism

Disclaimer on first chapter

**shadow dash 74: ** I have no intentions to stop writing about Hera's life. When I said I was planning to wrap up this story, I meant I would be starting a new one soon. I fully intend to continue the series, so there will be lots more Hera to come! Sorry for the confusion and thanks for reviewing ;)

**Chapter 6 – Animal Magnetism**

Edward was astounded at how the animals reacted to Hera! They'd had to leave the petting zoo early because every single creature in the enclosure flocked to the phoenix and he'd grown uncomfortable with the amount of attention this brought them from the staff and other patrons. At first he'd climbed into the enclosure with her, thinking the animals would sense the vampire in him and pull away. Unfortunately all this did was make them fear for the life of their new best friend and try to save her. If animals had a mafia, he'd no doubt they would have tried to take him out that day.

He was so glad Emmett would never see the moment he'd been head-butted in the rear end by one of the more aggressive goats. He could only pray Alice wasn't privy to that moment through her visions.

Hera had never laughed so hard.

Of course Hera thought the influx of attention was remarkable. She'd always been fascinated with wildlife, (as are most children), but this is the first time they've ever been drawn to her in such fashion! Edward was finally able to get her to agree to exit the pen with promises of face painting and a toy from the gift shop.

He had been so desperate to leave that he would have bought her anything she'd asked for at that point.

At the third exhibit they visited after the damned petting zoo, Edward discretely sniffed his mate. His thoughts were she had been sprayed by some kind of animal attracting pheromone by an evil mad scientist… or maybe Emmett. But other than the strong odor of goat, she smelled the same as always. He was at a loss.

When they reached the polar bear enclosure, he witnessed something else to add to his growing list of animal oddities. Hera obediently listened while Edward read the information from the placard before she tilted her head to the side and interrupted him.

"Why doesn't Binky like you, Edward?"

The vampire stopped reading the boring polar bear facts aloud mid-sentence when Hera asked her question. The abruptness of it caused him a moment's pause, but he looked up at the creature about which he assumed the child was speaking. The massive bear stood as closely to them as his habitat allowed and was pawing at the ground as if making an attempt to tunnel out. "Binky?"

Hera nodded. "Yeah… he doesn't like you, but you're real nice so I don't know why."

Chuckling, the vampire could come up with a dozen reasons any animal would have to dislike him… starting with his fangs. He looked around to make certain there were no people in hearing distance before crouching down next to his mate. "Well, sunshine, animals can usually tell what I am without me trying to eat them."

Hera took that in for a moment before looking confused. "How?"

Edward shrugged. "Lots of ways. Let's see… there's instinct, smell, my abnormally handsome looks…."

The child giggled and interrupted with, "Your massive ego."

The vampire stared at the five-year-old, aghast. "How do you even know what that means?!"

"I don't, but Alice told me yesterday that when I heard you say the words 'abnormally handsome looks,' that I had to interrupt you and say that." Hera was very pleased with herself for remembering. Edward could only laugh at his sister's foresight.

Never a dull moment.

"Anyway, animals have always been able to sense what I am." He glanced back at the polar bear, who hadn't moved from his spot since they arrived. "What makes you think Twinky doesn't like me?"

His intentional mangling of the name she'd given the animal had the desired results when she laughed. "Binky! And I don't know… something's telling me he just doesn't like you." She adopted a stern look and spoke to the bear. "Edward's nice, Binky!"

The animal's response was to give what appeared to be a sarcastic snort before laying down before them. Edward found himself feeling a little insulted before shaking his head at the absurdity of his thoughts.

While Edward and Hera were watching the beast, a tour guide came up to the enclosure with a group of children not much older than the phoenix beside him. "And here we have Binky the polar bear, kids," exclaimed the overly cheerful zookeeper. "He was found orphaned in the Alaska North Slope when he was only a cub. His rescuers brought him here in 1975."

Edward immediately picked the phoenix up and moved away from the group. "How did you know his name was Binky, Hera?" Reading her thoughts as she tried to formulate an answer, he was amazed that she seemed to know the answer instinctively.

She shrugged, "He just seems like a 'Binky' to me."

"Uh huh." Edward cast his gaze out into the polar bear enclosure once more. Finding what he was looking for, Edward pointed out another of the species to the little girl. "And what does that one look like to you?"

Hera scratched her head as she stared at the creature who was sleeping much farther away. "Like a 'Mimi.'"

Edward nodded and immediately waved at the zookeeper. Once he had her attention, he smiled charmingly. "I'm sorry to bother you, miss, but my little sister here was wondering what that bear's name was."

The young lady blushed at having the eyes of the handsome vampire on her and responded immediately. "Oh, it's no trouble at all! That pretty girl's name is Mimi. She was brought in when Binky grew old enough to desire a mate."

Shocked beyond belief, Edward politely thanked the human and excused himself and Hera, uncaring of the woman's disappointment at not having been asked on a date. This entire situation was… well he didn't know an exact word to describe it, but he hoped it was a good thing. As he carried Hera towards the Musk Ox exhibit he began to wonder if the animals were attracted to his mate's creature the same way they were repelled by his own.

If so, her powers were definitely getting stronger. This wasn't Hera's first trip to the zoo, and the animals certainly hadn't acted like this the last time she'd gone!

* * *

Edward opened the door for his mate, who eagerly ran inside to show everyone her cheetah face paint and stuffed polar bear, named Binky of course. Esme raised her eyebrow at him and he smiled innocently in return. He had known she wouldn't be happy with him for kidnapping Hera, but he could read in her thoughts that she didn't truly mind the whirlwind trip.

"No Emmett you can't eat me… I'm not a real cheetah," Hera exclaimed from the living room, prompting Edward to intervene.

Picking up the girl who'd run around the couch to evade her brother, he said, "I think she's had enough excitement for today Emmett." Hera stuck her tongue out at Emmett until Edward continued with, "You can eat her tomorrow."

"Uh!" Everyone laughed at the insulted look on Hera's painted face.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading/reviewing/favoriting!


	7. Vertigo

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

**Chapter 7 – Vertigo**

As soon as Carlisle had finally pronounced Hera fully healed from her accident, the little phoenix squealed with delight and flashed herself to the garden to celebrate her new found freedom. Alice had once made the comment that the child must be part plant because, even though her mood was mostly joyous, Hera positively blossomed on sunny days. This, along with her disposition, was what had first prompted Edward to call his mate "sunshine." Jasper watched his little sister from his bedroom window as she played in the garden while singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." She happily hopped from shadow to shadow, no doubt pretending that the sunny patches were deadly.

While Hera basked in the rays of the sun, her family soaked up the peace and contentment brought out by her singing. Arms wrapped around his waist and he immediately turned into them to give his mate a loving kiss. Alice happily accepted the token of affection before her own eyes tracked the actions of their sister. The phoenix was now trying to do the hand movements Esme had taught her in accompaniment with the song, but she couldn't seem to get the hang of the part where the spider climbs up the water spout.

The vampires stared in amazement as a white-crowned sparrow

flew down from a nearby tree and landed on Hera's head! The child was equally stunned and immediately tried to dislodge the grasp of tiny feet from her hair. She received a scolding for her attempt before the bird transferred itself from her head to Hera's hand. Bringing the tiny creature closer to her face, she suddenly broke into giggles before launching into a seemingly one-way conversation with the bird.

"Are you guys watching this," Jasper asked the others in the house.

Edward immediately responded. "Yes. This is exactly what I was talking about! Animals are suddenly mesmerized by her presence."

"Remarkable," announced Carlisle.

Edward snorted. "That's nothing… watch this." He soon appeared in the garden with his mate. The bird was growing increasingly agitated as the vampire approached them. Soon the animal broke out into a furious rant and flew from Hera's hand only to dive at the newcomer in the attempt to run him off, not even pausing in his tirade until Hera told her little friend that Edward was safe. Slightly mollified, the bird perched on the phoenix's shoulder and ruffled his feathers. After Edward had returned inside the avian remained with Hera for almost five more minutes before taking flight.

* * *

Later that evening Jasper approached his sister and asked her what the bird was saying.

Hera looked at the blonde as if he'd sprouted a few extra appendages. "Birds can't talk, Jasper."

Jasper stared at her in confusion for a moment before saying, "But you were talking to it."

"I'm not a bird," she replied, confusion pouring off of her. "I can talk, but a bird just whistles!"

Sighing in defeat, he affectionately tousled her unruly hair and went to watch television with Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett. As Emmett, aka Mr. Remote Hog, passed a nature documentary, Jasper got an idea. He quickly hid his thoughts from Edward because if his brother were to find out what he was planning, he'd probably rip him apart. Alice gasped in wonderment as a vision came to her before she grinned at her husband. "Do it!"

They immediately left the house in order to get far enough away from their telepathic brother and began to plan.

* * *

Hera looked down at Jasper from the comfort of Emmett's arms. Alice stood a little further away than her husband, watching the scene. "I'm not sure about this Jasper," the phoenix stated warily.

The civil war vampire smiled reassuringly at the child. She was currently standing high up in a tree, held protectively by the large vampire. The height filled her with intense fear and made her dizzy. Hera wasn't even certain she wanted to experience flight any longer.

"It's okay darlin'. You just have to get your confidence back and you'll be flying before you know it." He pushed feelings of peace and happiness towards her to ease her trembling.

"But what if I fall?"

"You'll most likely fall until your wings learn how to support you, Hera. But that's what I'm here for. I swear to you that you'll never hit the ground when I'm here to catch you." Topaz eyes met green. "Remember the baby birds on the videos we watched? Remember how they all kept falling until they got the hang of flying?"

"Yeah, but they didn't hurt themselves when they hit the ground." She didn't mention the fact that some baby birds were eaten by predators when they dropped from their nest, knowing that no creature on earth would be willing to brave three vampires just to eat her.

"And you're not going to hit the ground, Hera." He opened his arms invitingly. "Now, which is it going to be? Give up… or pick yourself up and try again?"

Resolution swept through the little girl and she nodded. Hera wasn't certain if that was her emotion or one Jasper sent to her, but either way she was going to do this. She ignored the feeling of vertigo as Emmett stepped back, though he remained close to her. Taking a deep breath, the five-year-old locked her jaw with determination, spread her wings, and jumped.

* * *

"Where is everyone," Edward asked Rosalie as he entered the house. He was suspicious. Scratch that… he was suspicious when Jasper, Emmett, and Alice had started to hide their thoughts weeks before. Now he was **certain** they were up to no good.

Normally he wouldn't care, but he soon realized that whatever mischief they were involved in now included his mate. Determined to figure out what they were hiding from him, Edward had stared at Hera as she sang "The Song That Doesn't End" in her head over and over. At first he'd simply crossed his arms and patiently listened to what had to be two-hundred verses of the blasted song. He'd listened to another hundred before giving up and leaving the house to go hunting.

The child would be great at torturing people.

"No idea," she responded, never once looking up from her fashion magazine. Rosalie was equally suspicious, which meant she'd been left out of the loop as well. What were the four of them up to that required absolute secrecy from himself and Rose?

There was no special event happening in the near future. Emmett wouldn't risk an irritated Rosalie holding out on sex for no good reason. What did the two siblings have in common? They both tended to be serious –bordering on moody, but the same could be said of Jasper. They both… well… uh… wow! He and Rosalie really didn't have much in common, unless you count their penchant for overprotecting Hera. Edward jerked his head up in panic. They were doing something with his mate… something of which they knew he wouldn't approve!

He was going to kill them.

Eyes black in a mixture of rage and panic, Edward dashed outside. There had been no telltale heartbeat inside, so he knew Hera wasn't in the house. But where were they?! They hadn't taken a car, but that didn't matter because they ran faster than any of their vehicles. Thinking logically was currently beyond him and he was about to just pick a random direction and run when he heard Hera's laughter. Swinging his head in her direction, he gawked at the sight of her.

Flying… his mate was flying!

Jasper, Emmett, and Alice kept pace with the phoenix, all ready to catch her in case she lost control. The vampires wore triumphant grins, but they paled in comparison to Hera's beaming face. Her expression of utter joy could light up the world should the sun disappear. Edward opened his arms and hugged his little phoenix tightly to his chest. He was indescribably proud of her!

He was still going to kill his brothers and sister, but that could wait a while.

* * *

And this marks the end of my third story in the series. Keep watching my profile page if you're interested in seeing the next installment.

Anyway, you are all awesome for sticking with me so far as I get back into the swing of writing. Thanks once more, (can't thank you guys enough), for reading, reviewing, following, and/or favoriting me. Love you guys!


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